Refrigeration apparatus.



E. R. SAGE.

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS.

APP\LICAT|0N FILED JAN. 2i. |916.

L29,m A Patented Mar. 4,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fusi

/NVENTR E. R. SAGE.

REFRIGEHATION APPARATUS.

AFPLICATION FILED JAN.2I. |916.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 LQS.

' `INVENTOH /llllll// E l 4 E1 R. SAGE. REFRIGERATION APPARATU. `APPLlcAlmN FILED 1AN.21. |915.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Fx@ T EDWIN R. SAGE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO RICARD S. IBRQAS, OE l EAST DRAIN GE, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 21, 1916. Serial Nor 73,307.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. SAcE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, county of Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RefrigerationApparatus, of which the following is a speciication. A

This invention relates more particularly to machines operating to produce refriger ation by the alternate liquefaction and;

evaporization of gases, such, for instance, as ethylchlorid. Of c'ourse, any suitable gas which is adapted to be liquefied and then vaporized so as to produce the necessary refrigeration may be used.

My invention is addressed specially to what is known as the high-pressure side of a refrigerating apparatus or system, and is addressed'to the manufacture of refrigerati ing apparatus economically, with the ideay of economy not only in manufacture but in space and economy in attention required to operate same.

In the drawings in which like numerals represent like parts, p

Figure l is a side view of a complete refrigerating machinev embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal, sectional view taken through a portion of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line A A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through the expansion valve; l, i

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section through the stufling box on the rotor shaft; f

Fig. 6 1s a modification of a-portion of Fig. 2; and l Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of thesealing means for the condenser tubes.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a base upon which is mounted a motor 2. 3 is the rotary compressor shaft connected 'With the motor shaft by the universal coupling 4. 5 is a stuing-box. v6 is a rotary compressor consisting of heads 7--7 and cylinder casing 8. 9 is a base or pedestal for the rotary compressor. 10 is" a refrigerator supplied by the refrigerant through the pipe 11 which leads from the condensing chamber 18 located within'the base 1. 12 is an expansion valve. 13 is an outlet pipe forA the gases leading from the refrigerator 10 back to the, compressor 6. Located within this pipe is a check valve 14 so as to prevent any back pressure or prevent any change in direction of the current of the' gas within the pipe 13.. Without this check valve when the electric motor 2 was stopped the rotary compressor would reverse its direction of rotation and tend to force lubricant over. into the low-pressure side of the apparatus or system. 15 is a lubricant pipe leading to the stuing box '5, hereafter explained more in detail. 1 6 isa water supply pipe Patented Mai. agraria..

to the condenser tubes 19 in the chamber 18. 17 is a water pipe leading 4from the Vwater supply pipes 16 and discharged through the discharge pip'ezl? which leads tothe wat/er jackets en the'cylinder heads,

las, stated above.

This condensing chamber 18 within the bxase 1 is preferably'constructed so that the the lubricant, and also so that it may be usedv as a reservoir for the liquefied gas. As the specific gravity of the lubricant is greater than that of the liquefied gas the liquefied gas floats on the lubricant.4 Also .located within this chamber 18 is an open pipe 20 having at its top a funnel-shaped flange, 21-which will be explained hereafter.

to which v'this pipe extends near the bottom of the chamber 18 depends upon the quantity of lubricant within the bottom of the chamber-that is, it must extend to a polnt which will be below the top of the lubricant.`

22 is another lubricant pipe which extends v Zontal passage 23 located within .the shell or casing 8V of thel compressor. This passage 23 extends from thepoint at whlch the pipe 22 connects' with it to each of the cylbottom of it may be used as a reservoir for The lubricantpipe 15 leading tothe stuff-VA ing-box on the rotor shaft 3 lextends down. through the open pipe 2O to a point below .the surface of the lubricant. 'The point inder heads which are provided with the passages 24-24 (see Fig. 2) which lead intothe cylinder so as to lubricate the compressor. This passage 24 leading from the passage 23 is shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Y

lVithin the base 9 and the lower part of the casing 8 is a separating chamber 25. If desired, the separating chamber may be located wholly within the pedestal 9 or wit-hin the casing 8, or within the base 1, it being immaterial to this invention. This separating chamber 25 is provided with a baffle 26 which preferably extends wholly around the chamber obliquely to the sides of the chamber, being so arranged that any lubricant deposited upon the bafile flows toward the center of the separating chamber so as to be fed into the funnel-shaped flange 21 of the open pipe 20, which will act to carry the lubricant down to the bottom of the chamber 8. This open pipe 20 is preferably arranged so that it carries the lubricant below the surface of the lubricating material stored in the bottom of the chamber 18, but, if desired, it may end at a point above the surface of the lubricant. I prefer to construct the apparatus so that the lubricant supply pipes 15 and 22 extend down within the lubricant to a point below the point where the pipe 20 ends within the lubricant, it being arranged in this way so that the lubricant carried to 4 the points of application by the pipes 15 and yinto the rotary compressor.

22 take the lubricant from that which has been within the bottom of the reservoir rather than drawing the lubricant from open pipe 20, which has just been separated, back to the point of application.

In Fig. 6 I show a modification of the pipes 15 and 22 projecting along the bottom of the reservoir so as 4to take the lubricant at a removed point from the point where the klubricant flows into the reservoir through the pipe 20. The pipe 15 leads to the stuffingboX 5. This stuffing-box has located within it a series of flexible packing rings 27 made of any suitable material, although I preferably use fibrous lnaterial. These packing rings are connected by separators or annular spacers. These packing rings are preferably arranged in series obliquely to the shaft so that the pressure of the fluid in pipe 15 against some of them tends to press the packing rings against the shaftto create a seal to prevent leakage. For instance, the three to the left of the point where the pipe 15 enters the stuffing-box are arranged so that the pressure of the lubricant against these three rings 27 causes them to press against the shaft, while the pressure of the lubricant against the KAfive to the right of the center tends to press the packing rings away from the shaft to permit the flow of lubricant.

When the rotary compressor is not operating there is a back pressure against the packing rings 27 which tends to cause a seal to prevent leakage. lVhen the pressure within the pipe 15, or within the rotary compressor falls below atmospheric pressure, the pressure of the atmosphere on the two packing rings 27 to the extreme left of Fig. 5 tends to press same against the shaft to cause a seal, thereby preifenting any air from entering the system. Of course, one could use as many packing rings 27 as desired, arranging them in series, as many in each series as desired, and could use any suitable separating means without departing from the spirit of my invention.

After the parts have been placed within the stuffing-box it is closed by a land or cap 28 held in place by a pair of Iliolts 29 arranged on opposite sides of the stuffing-box, one being shown in Fig. 1. If desired, a spring could be interposed between the gland or cap 28 and the first packing spacer so as to permit thepressure to be kept substantially constant under all running conditions.

Referring to the rotary compressor, 30 is an inlet to the chamber 36. 31 are inlet ports leading from the suction chamber 36 to the compressor chamber 32. The bore of the compressor chamber 32 is arranged so that it is eccentric to the flanges 33 upon which the cylinder heads are mounted and to which the fianges of the cylinder heads 7 are attached. I have found lthat by construct-ing this compressor chamber so that its bore is eccentric to the flanges 33, it simplifies the construction of the rotary compressor and obviates possible errors. 34 is the rotor shaft which is arranged concentric to the flanges 33. I preferably construct my compressor so that the point of maximum compression or point of'contact is reached in some part of the compressor chamber located at a point below a horizontal line taken through the shaft. The point of contact is generally understood to mean the point ofminimum distance between the longitudinal center of the shaft and the cylinder bore. In other words, it is that point Where the rotor makes contact with the cylinder bore.

35-35 are discharge ports from the compressor chamber. 36?-36 are the rotor blades having packing strips 37, 37. These rotor blades are mounted in grooves or guide-ways in the rotor 58 which is keyed to the shaft 34 by the key 59. Pins 38-38 are loosely mounted within the rotor 58 and rotor shaft 34 so that they may pass freely back and forth through same. In Fig. 3- I have shown in dotted lines the opening in the rotor shaft through which the pins' pass and have also shown the pins. 39 is the water-inlet manifold which is connected with the pipe 17, the water passing from the manifold into the water-j ackets 41, 41 of the cylinder heads on the near side of Fig. 1,

chamber 18 passes from said .chamber through the pipe 11, the lower end of'which is located-within the chamber 18 so that the lower ,end' or inlet to the pipe is always above the surface of the lubricant, and preferably below the surface of the liquid refrigerant. In other words, the lower ei1d,`or inlet to the pipe 11 (Fig. 2) is, under ,the best working conditions, submerged in the liquid refrigerant. Located at a suitable point on the pi e 11 is the expansion; valve 12. Any suita le expansion valve Iiiay be used but I prefer the form shown inthe drawing or a modified construction of' same.'

. 41A is a valve casing. 41B is a bonnet held in place by a threaded ring 57. 42 isa passage from Vthe pipe-11 into the mainjchamber of the valve. At the end of this passage y is located a'valve seat. 43 is a valve adapted l to close 4the passage 42 when held against the seat. -"4'4 is acircular cam fiXedly ihounted uponthe valve stem 46. 45 is aspring, so arranged that it tends to normally close the passage 42 by forcing the valve 43 against the valve seat. The valve stem 46 isl held in a guidewayI 47, the casing of which guideway acts also as a supp'lort for the spring 45. 49-is an arm projecting from the bonnet 41B on the free end of which is pivotally `mounted a bell-crank lever 48 so that one of its arms tends to engage with the cam 44 fixedly mountedon the valve stem 46, .ivvhile the other arm is in engagement with the pin 50 having anenlarged yhead 51. 52 is a diaphragmfmounted in the top of the valve casing and in constant engagement with the enlarged head 51 of the pin\ 50. Above the diaphragm isahspring y53 in constant engagement with the diaphragm and so arranged that by rotation of the screw 55 carrying the plunger .54 the pressure of the spring 53 on the diaphragm 52 may be regulated. c

of the valve Vis as follows: Undernormal conditions without the apparatus being in operation the yscrew 55 is operated lso that the valve 43 is held against the valve seat to close'tli passage 42. With the'A system in operation a vacuum is c1eated"'o11'`the discharge side of the valve with the result that the atmospheric pressure' tends to press the diaphragm downward in opposition to spring 45 thereby withdrawing thevalve 43 from its seat through the operation of pin 50, bell-crank lever 48 and flange 44 so as to permit the liquid refrigerant to pass into the valve through the passage 42` iti.

and out from the valve through the discharge port to the pipe 11 where it is conveyed to the lower part of the refrigerator 10. If it is desired to open the valve at any time without depending upon the difference in pressure on the opposite sides of the diaphragm the operation of the screw 55 will cause the spring 53 to press downward upon the diaphragm thereby pressing down on the pin 50, the bell-crank lever. 48 and the iiange 44 in opposition to thespring 45 so as to cause'the valve 43 to rise fromits seat. l

The operation of my apparatus is as follows: The lubricant having been put into the base of the chamber 18 through an lnlet which may be located in any sultable place in the base, the gas to be used as a refrigerant, preferably ethylchlorid, is fed 1n 1n' the usual wayon the low-pressure slde at Aany desired point between the eXpanslon valve 12 and the refrigerator 10. The gas having been supplied to the system, the motor y2 is operated, thereby operating the compressor shaft 3 through coupling 4. The gas is' chamber 36 of the compressor and through the inlet ports 31 to the compressor chamber 32 where it is compressed and discharged through the ports 35 into the separatmg chamber where the lubricant is separated from the gas and deposited upon the walls of the chamber and passes down over the bale (as many baille plates may be used as desired) into the funnel-shaped flange 2.1 at the top of the pipe .20, from whence 1t flows to the refrigerant reservoir at the bottom of the chamber'. The compressed gas passes betweenthe balie 26 and the .upper edge of the funnel-shaped flange 21 into the condensing chamber 18, where it comes v I chamber 18 through the pipe 11 in which is Under workingconditions the operationA located the expansion valve 12 where its pressure isreduced, through the balance of the pipe 11 to the refrigerating chamber where it is evaporated and passes out from the upper side of the refrigerator through the gas-pipe 13 which leads back to the compressor. The` passin of the liquid refrig-` erant from the cham er 18 to the refrigerator or' evaporator 10 is due to the difference in pressure in the condensing chamber and l the refrigerator. The refrigerator or evaporator 10 may be located in a tank in which to manufacture ice, or in a room for refrigerating purposes, or it may be used for any other purpose of refrigeration.

The flow of the lubricant is from the lubricating reservoir at the bottom of the chamber 18 through the pipe 15 to the stuffingebox 5, some of' it passing from the stuffing-box into the compressor and then back through the discharge port of the compressor with the compressed gas into the separator and back to the reservoir through means of the baffle 26, flange 21 and pipe 20. The other circuit of the lubricant is from the reservoir to the bottom of the chamber 18 through the pipe 22 into the passage 23, through the outlets 211 where it passes out and is distributed by the rotor 58, its blades 36-36 and packing strips 37, the excess being discharged out through the discharge port 35 into the separating chamber where it is sepa-rated and flows back to the reservoir in the same way as described above. For instance, if desired, the chamber 25, shown between the rotary compressor and the condensing chamber 18, could be dispensed with and the rotary compressor mounted on top of the base 1 so as to discharge directly into the condensing chamber 18 and the funnelshaped opening 21, leading to the pipe 2O which is for the purpose of conveying the lubricant to the lubricant reservoir, would be located below the discharge port and sufficiently large so as to gather all of the lubricant discharged with the gas from the compressor and convey it to the open pipe 20 through which it would flow to the lubricant reservoir.

I have provided means for sealing, against the escape of gas, the opening between the condenser tubes 19 and the tube-sheet or wall 60. At each end of the condenser chamber (see Fig. 7), the tube-sheet or wall 60 is provided with an opening into which the tube 19 is placed. The opening at one end (see Fig. 7 is just sufficiently large to permit the pipe to pass through, while the balance of the opening is of' greater area. In the enlarged portion of the opening is provided a screw-thread into which is placed a screw-threaded ferrule or sleeve-nut 61. As

shown in Fig. 7, the end of the opening or passage having the reduced area is provided with an annular flange 63 as a result of the manner 1n which the opening is formed. Of course, if desired, this annular ange 63 could be made separate and attached to the tube-sheet 60 in any desired way. Between this flange 63 and the ferrule 61 I place a packmg, preferably a metal packing. The rotation of the screw-threaded ferrule 61 tends to compress this packing 62 between the flange 63 and the end of the screwthreaded ferrule 61, so as to force it against the wall of the opening and the outer surface of the tube 19 to form a gas-tight joint. The tube 19, ferrule 61, tube-sheet 60 and the packing 62 are all preferably made of metal, although, of course, other suitable material could be used, if desired. These tubes are connected at the ends beyond the tube-sheet 60, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the liquid flowing in'through the pipe 16 (see Fig. l) enters the end tube in the lower series, passes through that, crosses to the next adjacent tube, back through that tube and crosses to the next adjacent tube, and so until it has passed through all of the tubes in the lower series, and at the end of the last tube in the lower series is provided a passage leading to the last tube in the upper series, the upper series being arranged in the same way so that the liquid, after passing through all of the tubes, flows out through the tube which is above the tube into which the liquid was first introduced. Of course, any other suitable arrangement of the tubes 4could be provided. A

In Fig. 3, I have shown, in dotted lines, the partitions showing how the liquid is caused to flow from one tube to the other in one end of the apparatus. In the other end of the apparatus partitions are similarly arranged, although they are staggered in relation to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3. Changes may, of course, be made in the arrangement of these tubes and in the connections between tubes so that the liquid could be' flowing in the saine direction in two or more adjacent tubes, if desired.

Many modifications lmay be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is r l1. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a base, a condensing chamber within said base, a sepa-rating chamber, a passage connecting said separating chamber and said condensing chamber, a compressor, the casing of said separating chamber forming a support for the compressor and a passage connecting said compressor and said separator.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a base, a condensing chamber within said base, a separating chamber, a passage connect-ing said separating chamber and saidcondensing chamber, a compressor having a discharge port located below a horizontal line through the compressor shaft, the casing of said separating chamber forming a, support for the compressor and a passage connecting said compressor and said separator.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, the coinbination of a base, a condensing chamber within said base, a separat-ing chamber, a bafiie within said chamber, a passage connectingsaid separating chamber and said condensing chamber, a compressor, the casing of said Separating chamber forming a .connectingnsaid compressor and said separating chamber.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a base, a condensing chamber within said base, a separating chamber, a balile within said chamber, a passage connecting said separating chamber and said condensing chamber, a compressor having a discharge port locat-ed below a horizontal line through the compressor shaft, the casing of said separating chamber forming a support for the compressor and a passage connecting said compressor and said separator.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a base, a condensing chamber, a separating chamber, al passage connecting said separating chamber and said condensing chamber, a compressor, the casing of said separating chamber forming a support for the compressor, a lubricant reservoir within said condensing chamber, means for gathering said lubricant and conveying it from said separator to said reservoir, means for conveying said lubricant from said reservoir to the point of application, said lastmentioned means being so arranged that it takes the lubricant from the reservoir at a point removed fromv the point where the lubricantis fed into the reservoir.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus, the comp bination of a base, a condensing chamber, a

separating chamber, a passage connecting said separating chamber and sald condenslng chamber, a compressor, the caslng of said separating chamber forming a support for the compressor, a lubricant reservoir within said condensing chamber, means for gathering said lubricant and conveying it from said separator to said reservoir, means for conveying said lubricant from said reservoir to the point of application, an outlet for the liquid refrigerant and an expansion valve suitably located on said outlet.

7. In a refrigerating apparatus, a combined base and condenser, a suitable lubricant (separator mounted on said base, a compressor, all so arranged that said compressor discharges directly intol said separator and said separator discharges compressed gas directly into said condenser and means for v carrying the separated lubricant from said separator to a point below the surface of the lubricant held in the lubricant reservoir.

8. In a refrigerating' apparatus, the combination on the high-pressure side of a rotary compressor having its discharge port below a horizontal line through the shaft, a base for said compressor, a separating chamber located within said base, means for operating the compressor, a condensing chamber located within said base and in direct connection with said separator, a lubricant reservoir in said base, a liquid refrigerant reservoir within said base, means for conveying the lubricant from the separator to a point below the surface of the lubricant within said reservoir, means for taking the lubricant from a point below the surface of the lubricant and conveying it to its point of application, means for taking the liquid refrigerant'from a point below the surface of the liquid refrigerant within the liquid refrigerant reservoir and conveying it to any desired point of use, an automatic expansion valve on said last-mentioned means, condensing tubes within said condensing chamber, an inlet to said condensing tubes, an outlet from said condensing tubes, water jackets in the cylinder heads of the rotary compressor and means for conveying the water from said outlet to said water jackets and means for conveying the water from said water jackets. 9. In a refrigerating apparatus, a condenser, a compressor, a lubricant reservoir, means separate from the condenser located below the compressor and arranged to gather the lubricant and permit it to pass by gravity to the lubricant reservoir.

In testlmony whereofl have signed my name to this specification.

. EDWIN R. SAGE.' 

